The College is pleased to announce that Sr. Patricia McDermott, RSM, will be awarded a Honorary Doctorate of Public Service in recognition of her service to society at Commencement on May 8, 2021.
First, in her role as an educator, and later in her role as an administrator, Sr. McDermott, President of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, has shared her commitment to the mission of Mercy with countless people. Her leadership has been instrumental in supporting the Sisters in their outreach, advocacy, and service to others.
Sister Patricia McDermott, RSM is the president of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, which includes the continental United States, Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Pacific countries of Guam and the Philippines.
Sr. McDermott began her career teaching English, journalism, and religious education at the secondary level, which she continued for ten years before taking time off to complete her doctoral studies. Following this, she taught pastoral theology at The Catholic University of America.
After stepping into an administrative role with the Sisters of Mercy Provincial Administrative Team, Sr. McDermott would later go on to serve as the president of the Sisters of Mercy in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1999, Sr. McDermott joined the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Leadership Team prior to being elected to her current position as president in 2011.
Sr. McDermott’s past ministerial experience has included presenting workshops in areas of religious education and spirituality. She has assisted in parish adult education programs; visited and worked with elderly in care centers and homes; and taught scripture to women religious.
Sr. McDermott has held many board positions in institutions that provide health care, education, and housing, where she has served with lay colleagues as well as women religious. She values the commitment to the mission of Mercy that she sees in ministry colleagues who witness to the legacy of Catherine McAuley and who provide multiple responses to the needs of our suffering world.
